Meerut teen hammers friend to death for blackmailing girlfriend
What's the story
A 17-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut has been detained on suspicion of murdering his friend with a hammer.
The incident reportedly took place after the victim, identified as Abhinav, allegedly blackmailed the accused's girlfriend with stolen videos and pictures.
Both teenagers were engineering aspirants studying at the same coaching center and lived in the same neighborhood.
Investigation
Missing person report leads to murder investigation
Abhinav's father Sunil Kumar had filed a missing person report when his son didn't return home on Saturday.
Initially, the accused denied knowing Abhinav's whereabouts. However, CCTV footage showed the two teenagers were together on the day of the incident.
This led to police questioning during which the accused confessed to the murder.
Motive
Accused alleges blackmail as motive for murder
The accused alleged that Abhinav had stolen videos from his phone and used them to blackmail his girlfriend into meeting him.
On learning this, the accused allegedly hatched a plan to murder Abhinav.
On the day of the crime, they sold a phone for ₹8,000, had dinner at a restaurant, and then stopped near a tubewell where the fatal attack took place.
Family reaction
Victim's family demands justice, suspects additional involvement
Abhinav's family has refused to cremate his body until justice is served. They suspect others may have been involved in the crime and are demanding a thorough investigation.
A relative of Abhinav, Kuldeep, said: "Police should not mislead us. They should tell us the truth about who all were involved."
Police statement
Police confirm investigation continues, accused in custody
Meerut City SP Ayush Vikram Singh confirmed an FIR has been lodged and the investigation is underway.
"We have recovered the body and the hammer. We have taken the accused into custody. He is a minor and he will be produced in court," Singh said.
He also assured CCTV footage would be reviewed to ascertain if others were involved in the crime.